Corbridge Bridge

Corbridge Bridge is a 17th-century stone bridge across the River Tyne at Corbridge, Northumberland, England.

Corbridge Bridge
Corbridge Bridge
Coordinates	54.9722°N 2.0188°W / 54.9722; -2.0188
OS grid reference	NY988641
Carries	B6321
Crosses	River Tyne
Locale	Northumberland
Heritage status	Grade I listed[1]
Preceded by	Hexham Bridge
Followed by	Styford Bridge
Characteristics
Material	Stone
Total length	480 ft (146 m)[2]
No. of spans	7
Load limit	7.5 t
No. of lanes	Single-track road controlled by traffic lights
History
Construction end	1674
Opened	1674 (1674)
Location

The bridge used to carry the A68 road over the River Tyne, but since the opening of the Hexham bypass (A69) the A68 now crosses by the Styford Bridge, 3 miles (5 km) downstream of Corbridge. It is listed as a Grade I listed building by Historic England.^[1]

History

The bridge at Corbridge was built in 1235.^[3] In 1298 royal officers went to Corbridge to purchase horseshoes and nails, and the tariff imposed to raise money for upkeep of the medieval bridge included tolls on nails of different kinds, horseshoes, cartwheel-sheaths, griddles, iron cauldrons and vats. The bridge was the great asset of the town. Described in 1306 as the only bridge between Newcastle and Carlisle, it was maintained also as a link between England and Scotland.^[4] In 1674 [Fraser^[4] has 1690] it was replaced by the seven-arched bridge we see today.^[3] So well did the builder of this bridge execute his contract that his was the only one on the Tyne to withstand the Great Flood of 1771.^[4][5] In 1881 it was widened by 3 ft (1 m) but its appearance was not spoilt.^[3]